Bodhi

Bodhi:Bodhi is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand,in early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous to nirvana, using only some different metaphors to describe the experience, which implied the extinction of raga (greed), dosa (hate) and moha (delusion).

Bodhi Tree: The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo (from the Sinhalese Bo), was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya (about 100 km (62 mi) from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar), under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi.

(thanks wikipedia)

The yoga studio that I go to is called the Bodhi Tree. The theme for this 8 week session of class is bodhi, in the idea of awakening. Spring is a process of awakening from a layer of snow and cold, a process of living, growing, and absorbing the sun. The days are getting longer, and thank goodness, brighter. My plants are starting to really shoot up, and as I watch my tulips and daffodils crank it, I begin to feel the optimism that envelops spring and then summer. With warmth comes the end of class and school, and beginning of relaxation, learning, and revelry-how my body aches for that unstructured time! I have basically been going full-throttle practice practice practice since the fall, and I'm overdue for a vacay. So, I'm taking this chance to awaken from the grey overhang that is winter and to reevaluate. What can we discard from our lives, to make ourselves happier? What parts of our bodies, minds, and perceptions need awakening?

I know that my spine needs awakening, if nothing else, and that it's time to do some serious spring cleaning in my apt, especially since I'll be moving in the next few months. But more seriously, we can awaken to what we offer in this moment. Rather than judge the challenges that lay before us, instead embrace this actual moment. Rather than worry about your future, prepare for now! Awaken to the present moment, whether that is typing, resting, brushing your teeth, or practicing. Remember that happiness is always available to you, no matter what your "problems" are. I may be stressed about my future, but I take comfort in watching the sun feed my plants, or the way the guinea pigs devour hay. Feel yourself being nurtured by others, by the kindness and support of those around you, even when your internal state is complex, and awaken to joy and love.

"The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life."

"Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion."

"Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment."
— Thich Nhat Hanh

(look at these little buds of greenness popping up. Go daffodils, go!)